Apparatus fob cleaning sand filteb beds and the like



Dec. 29, 1931. PEEBLES Re; 18,301

APPARATUS FOR C LEANING SAND FILTER BEDS AND THE LIKE Original Filed Aug. 2a, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 WWII)" Fa a [5,

Dec. 29, 1931. 'J PEEBLES Re. 18,301

APPARATUS FOR CLEANING SAND FILTER BEDS AND THE LIKE Original Filed Aug. 23, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Cur/0114211 Reisaued Dec. 29, 1931 UNITED s 'rATE's Re. 18,301 i PATENT OFFICE JAMES PEEIBLES, OF DALRYMPLE, SCOTLAND, ASSIGNOB, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO

THE DORE COMPANY, INC., OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE AIPAB ATUS FOB CLEANING SAND FILTER BEDS THE LIKE Original No. 1,748,898, dated February 25, 1930, Serial No. 301,655, flled'August 23, 1928, and in Great Britain August 23, 1927. Application for reissue filed January '5, 1931. Serial No. 506,765.

This invention relates to apparatus for cleaning sand or other comminuted material in filter beds and the like and has for an object to provide means whereby the dirty and heavily coated sand or the like forming the upper stratum of the bed may be efiectively cleaned independently of the body sand, thus preventing the formation of cracks, mudballs and clogged areas at the surface of the bed.

In a sand filter bed which is cleaned by agitation with air and/ or water introduced from an under drain the upper stratum of thebed is so remote from the re 'on of agitation that it is not completely bro en up and often coagulates, to form clogged areas liable to occasion surface cracks and crevices so that when filtration is restarted the water traverses the cracks and crevices in consequence of which the filtration efiiciency of the bed is impaired by reduction of effective filtration areas.

Apparatus according to the invention includes a structure movable on the filter bed or the like and sustaining means for scooping up the surface of the sand or the like.

Also it may include means for impelling jets of water against the sand or the like so scooped up, and impact-receiving means on which the jets of water admixed with sand or the like impinge whereby coagulated masses of sand or the like are disintegrated.

, The movable structure may be constituted by a motor operated carriage travellingi on rails and having a grit scraper depen ing therefrom. The motor may operates. pump on the carriage and may serve also to propel the carriage. The delivery side of the pump being in communication with a conduit suspended from the carriage and fitted with nozzles for directing against sand scooped up by a scoop also suspended from the carnage jets of water delivered by the pump.

The impact-receiving means may be constituted by a plate or deflector also suspended from the carriage and presenting concavities in register with the nozzles.

Impurities in the surface sand may be swept towards drains while clean water enters the bed,the travelling apparatus sustaining a partition between the clean and the dirty water sections.

For cleaning filters of the pressure type the cleaning apparatus may be mounted for rotation on a vertical axis.

In the accompanying drawingsFig. 1 is a vertical longitudinal section showing a filter bed cleaning apparatus; Fig. 2 is a vertical section at rlght-angles to Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a fragmentary detail view of the cleaning aparatus drawn to a larger scale; Fig. 4 is a. ragmentary detail plan view, part horizontal section of the apparatus shown in Fig. 3; Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 3 showing a slightly modified construction.

Referring to the drawings, 1 denoteseach of a battery of juxtaposed rectangular filter beds or chambers each having side walls 2 and end walls 3 (Fig. 1).

Adapted to run on rails 4 laid on top of the side walls 2 is a wheeled carriage 5 carrying a pump 6 and driving motor 7, which pump is adapted when in operation to draw water by way of a suction pipe 8 (Fig. 2) from one filter bed and to discharge said water by way of a flexible pipe 9 to a pipe 10 extending transversely of the adjoining filter bed and fitted with spaced renewable nozzles 11.

The pipe10is spaced forwardly of and carried by a transverse bar 12 connected by arms 13 to the rear axle 14 of the carriage 5, the pipe 10 and bar 12 being adapted to be swung about the axis of said axle 14 by means, not shown, whereby theymay be moved into and out of operative position as required. Th bar 12 is formed wih spaced orifices each of which is disposed o posite a nozzle 11 and fitted with a renewa senting a convergent opening 18.

Secured to the lower face of an inclined scoop plate or blade 16 adapted,

when the bar is lowered into operative position, to dig into the surface of the sand as shown in Figs. 1, 3, and 5. The blade 16 is elongated and extends crosswise of the chamber. It may extend from side wall to side wall to scrape the latter as shown in Figure 2.

le bush 15 pre-' the bar 12 is Spaced from the bar 12 and carried thereby is an impact plate or' deflector 16' presenting concavities 17 facing the delivery openings 18 presented by the bushes 15.

In the modified construction shown in Fig.

5 the bar 12 and the impact plate16' are sur-, mounted by wall plates 19, 19' defining a channel. passage 20; theupper edge of the plate 19' being slightly higher than the up- I per edge of the plate 19.

In operation, to effect cleaning of a filter bed, the pipe 10 and arm 12 are lowered into operative position with the scoop plate or blade 16 digging into the surface of the sand, the pump 6 is started and the carriage is traversed slowly in the direction indicated by the arrow A from the front to the rear end of the filter bed. The jets of water issuing from the nozzles 11 carry the sand scooped up by the plate 16 through the openings 18 and cause it forcibly to impinge on the concave faces 17 of the impact plate 16 whereby the,co lated masses of surface sand are thoroug ly disintegrated, the sand falling on tothe surface of the bed through the gap between the bar 12 and the late 16".

It will be understood t at in the forward movement of the apparatus, i. e., movement in the direction indicated by the arrow A, impurities contained in the surface sand are swept towards the filter bed drain 21 by means of the blade 16 impelled bythe car-- I or ast the ends of the apparatus.

en the carriage has reached the rear end of the filter bed the pipe 10 and arm 12 may be swung upwardly clear of the bed and the carriage moved back to the front end of the bed ready for another cleaning traverse.

In order that one apparatus may serve a battery of filter beds there is provided a bogie 23 (Fig. 1) adapted to run on rails 24 extending transversely of the filter beds, said bogie carrying rails 25 adapted to be brought into register with the rails 4 so that the carriage 5 may be run back on thebogie 23 and trans pgfited to a position opposite another filter In the case of an end filter the pump6 may draw water by way of the pipe 8 from a trough disposed alongside the filter bed.

As will be understood, after the upper stratum of the bed has been cleaned by the apparatus described the body sand may be washed with ease by agitation with air and/ or water, it being readily understood that the surface of the sand then presents an equitable area for passage of the air and water.

While I have described a device useful for cleaning filter beds, it may be used in any' said carriage, a connection for leading water from one of said beds to said pump, a pipe connected to the delivery side of said. pump, nozzles fitted to said last mentioned pipe 1n register with said convergent openings and an impact plate sustained by said bar on the opposite side of said scoop from said nozzles.

2. Apparatus for cleaning sand or other comminuted material in filter beds, including a carriage movable. over said beds, a bar sustained by said carriage and presenting convergent openings, a scoop fitted to said bar for scooping up the surface of the comminuted bed material, a pump sustained by said carriage, a connection for leading water from one of said beds to said pump, a pipe connected to the delivery side of sald pump,

nozzles fitted to said last mentioned pipe in register with said convergent openings, and

wall plates sustained by said bar and defining a partition separating the water above the cleaned comminuted material and the water above the comminuted material to be cleaned.

3. Apparatus for cleaning sand or other comminuted material in a filter bed having an outlet at one end, including a carriage movable over saidbed towards said outlet, a bar sustained by said carriage and presenting convergent openings, a scoop fitted to said'bar for scooping up the surface of the comminuted bed material, a pump sustained by said carriage, a connection for leading water to said pump, a pipe connected to the delivery side of said pump, nozzles fittedto said last mentioned pipe in register with said convergent openings and a pairof wall plates sustained by said bar and defining a partition separating the water above the cleaned comminuted material and the water above the higher level than the wall plate nearer said outlet.

4. Apparatus for use in a rectangular sedimentation chamber having side walls, end

walls, an end outlet, and a bottom for supporting a gritty deposit, comprising a carriage reciprocable above the bottom of the chamber, an elongated blade extending crosswise of the chamber for scraping the gritty deposit, said blade being so mounted upon said carriage that it extends forwardly under the carriage, whereby movement of the -carriage forwardly impels the blade against the grit on the chamber bottom.

5. Apparatus for use in a rectangular sedimentation chamber having side walls, end

5 walls, an end outlet, and a bottom for supporting a gritt deposit, comprising a car riage reciprocable above the ottom of the chamber, an elongated blade extending crosswise of the chamber for scraping the gritty deposit, said blade being so mounted upon said carriage that it extends forwardly under the carriage, and at an angle thereto, whereby movement of the carriage forwardly pushes the blade against the grit on the cham- 1 ber bottom.

6. Apparatus of the class described comprisin a rectangular chamber through which liquid aving gritty solids therein is adapted to fiow, which chamber is provided with a liquid inlet at one end, and a liquid outlet at the other end, a reciprocable carriage straddling said channel transversely, means supported on the said carriage to propel gritty solids settled from said liquid along the bottom of said channel toward said outlet end,

said means comprising a scraper blade extending transversely of said channel and pivotally supported from said carriage, and means for positioning said scraper blade to- 80 ward said channel bottom into settled solidspropelling position, and for retracting said scraper blade away from said bottom into non-scraping position, whereby said blade on one stroke of said carriage may be made to 85 scrape settled solids along the channel bottom and on the return stroke of said carriage,

not to engage any settled solids.

In an apparatus of the class described,

the combination of a plurality of rectangular sedimentation chambers having side walls, end walls, an end outlet, and a bottom for supporting a gritty deposit, comprising a carriage reclprocable along the air of side walls, an elongated blade extending crosswise of said carriage and so mounted on said carrige as to be positionable near the bottom of said chamber for scraping gritty deposit and to be capable of being raised above the level of said side walls, and a truck mounted for movement transversely to said series of chambers and adapted to receive said carriage and to transport it from one to another of said chambers.

JAMES PEEBLES. 

